20 acres of poppy plantation destroyed; 2 held, 2 absconding
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 11 2023:
Even as two persons were appre-hended and 20 acres of poppy plantation were destroyed at Kangpokpi today, the district police are on the hunt to arrest two absconding village chiefs.
While the 20 acres of poppy plantation was destroyed on the northern side of the Pangjang hill range, the two arrested have been identified as Lamkhohao (55), s/o (L) Holkhopao of Puleijang village and Jangginlal (25), s/o Jamlhun of Dinglen village.
They were arrested for their alleged involvement in poppy cultivation at Puleijang hill range and Lhansom hill range.
Saikul police station has registered FIRs against them under relevant sections of the ND&PS Act.
On the other hand, the two absconding men are village chiefs of Beilejang and T Khonomphai.
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An intensive manhunt is on to arrest the chiefs and some villagers/cultivators for their alleged involvement in poppy cultivation, said the police.
Significantly, when the personnel of Kangpokpi PS conducted searches at T Khonomphai to arrest its chief, they found new plantations at the village.
The plantations were new and they were not there when a poppy destruction drive was conducted at the village some time ago.
The new plantations were destroyed by the search team, said the police.
The Kangpokpi police said the chiefs and some villagers of Beilejang and T Khonomphai had reportedly burnt down the western side of the historic Koubru Hill and planted poppy on several acres.
But, when police personnel led by Officer in-Charge of Kangpokpi PS conducted searches at the villages to arrest them, they found them absconding and their houses locked.
The chiefs and the villagers are yet to be traced and arrested, said the police.
Notably, the district police is using drone technology to conduct surveys and identify poppy plantations in Kangpokpi.
The use of drones for identification of illicit poppy cultivation has been successful, and currently surveys are being conducted at 12 villages along Imphal-Tamei Road, said the police.
Drone survey along with physical verification is being conducted on the Koubru hill range, under Kangpokpi PS .
Today, personnel of Kangpokpi PS led by OC Kh Sunilkumar, SDC Kangpokpi Lunkhaopao Touthang and T Waichong Forest Division RO Somarendro visited some of the villages and conducted a physical survey.
The combined team of the district administration, Kangpokpi PS, Forests Department and NAB conducted the survey on the western side of Koubru hill range.
During the survey, they found all poppy plantations destroyed at 9 villages voluntarily by the people.
The combined team further verified that 3 villages have begun destroying poppy plantations in their jurisdictions.
While the chiefs promised the team that all plantations will be destroyed within 3 days, the team said the progress will be verified and monitored.
The district police takes the War on Drugs seriously and is making all out efforts to root out illegal drugs from Kangpokpi.
The survey is being taken up to achieve complete and total destruction of poppy plantations in the district, said OC Kh Sunilkumar.